Modular uninterruptible power supply apparatus and methods of operating same

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

0001This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/566,296, filed on Dec. 10, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

0002The inventive subject matter relates to electric power systems and methods of operating the same and, more particularly, to uninterruptible power supply systems and methods of operating the same.

0003Conventional electrical power systems used in commercial applications, such as data centers, typically include various types of devices, such as switchgear units, transformers, power distribution units (PDUs) and uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs). These are typically single purpose units and are selected and interconnected to suit a particular application. For example, a conventional UPS used in data center power system may include a cabinet or a modular arrangement of cabinets that has a relatively fixed topology, e.g., a particular interconnection of rectifier, inverter and battery converter circuits that is designed to provide a power output from a primary source, such as a utility source, and a secondary source, such as a battery. The primary and secondary power sources may be connected to the UPS and other power network components using switchgear and other network components that typically are selected for the particular application. Such units may be difficult to integrate with one another and with other devices. Some UPS systems may have modular construction in order to facilitate capacity scaling and replacement in case of failure, but the modules used in such systems are typically configured for use in a fixed arrangement.

0004Large data centers have proliferated with the advent of web services and cloud computing. Some newer large data centers occupy millions of square feet and house hundreds of thousands of servers. These centers may have varying power requirements. For example, a data center may host both fault-tolerant applications, such as social media and video services, and fault-intolerant applications, such as financial applications. Energy consumption is a major concern for such facilities, as some facilities are approaching the 100 MW level, where even a few percentage points of lost efficiency can translate into significant expense. It may be desirable to power servers hosting fault-intolerant applications using highly reliable systems, such as on-line UPSs. However, running fault-tolerant applications on servers with a highly-reliable UPS may be relatively inefficient. Various solutions for providing power in data centers with relatively high efficiency and redundancy are proposed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,886,173 to Krieger et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,560,831 to Whitted et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 8,344,546 to Sarti. These solutions, however, may be relatively inflexible and may not provide a sufficient breadth of capabilities.

SUMMARY

0005Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter provide an uninterruptible power supply system including a plurality of functional modules interconnected to form a power distribution network coupling at least two power sources to a load. Each functional module has at least two ports coupled to at least one other of the functional modules and/or to at least one other external device and includes a control circuit configured to autonomously control at least one function relating to electrical power transfer between the at least two ports. The system further includes a controller module configured to communicate with each of the functional modules over at least one digital communication link to control power flow between the at least two power sources and the load.

0006In some embodiments, each of the functional modules comprises a local controller circuit configured to autonomously control the at least one function and to communicate with the controller module. In further embodiments, the plurality of functional modules may include at least two functional modules coupled to at least two different power sources and at least one functional module coupled to at least one load and the controller module may be configured to communicate with the plurality of functional modules to selectively couple the at least two different power sources to the at least one load. The controller module may be configured to maintain a model for the system and to communicate with the plurality of functional modules according to the model.

0007The plurality of functional modules may include a switch module configured to provide at least one switch coupling at least one input port to at least one output port, wherein the control circuit of the switch module is configured to autonomously monitor at least one electrical parameter at the at least one input port and/or the at least one output port and responsively control the at least one switch. The control circuit of the switch module may be further configured to control the at least one switch responsive to a control signal received from the controller module via the at least one digital communications link. The at least one switch may include a double pole switch or a single pole switch.

0008The plurality of functional modules may further include a power converter module comprising a converter circuit coupled between first and second ports of the power converter module. The converter circuit may include, for example, a rectifier circuit, an inverter circuit or a DC/DC converter circuit.

0009Further embodiments provide a modular uninterruptible power supply system comprising a set of functional modules configured to be interconnected in a variety of different network configurations, each functional module having at least two ports configured to be coupled to at least one other functional module and/or to at least one other external device and a control circuit configured to autonomously control at least one function relating to electrical power transfer between the at least two ports. The system further includes a controller module configured to be coupled to selected functional modules of the set functional modules via at least one digital communication link and configurable to control power flow according to a network model corresponding to a network configuration of the selected functional modules.

0010Method embodiments may include interconnecting a plurality of functional modules to provide a network coupling at least two power sources and at least one load, each functional module having at least two ports configured to be coupled to at least one other functional module and/or to at least one other external device. A controller module is coupled to the functional modules using at least one digital communication link. Each functional module autonomously operate to control at least one function relating to electrical power transfer between the at least two ports of the functional module, and the controller module and the functional modules communicate to control power flow between the at least two power sources and the load.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0011<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic diagram illustrating an uninterruptible power supply system (UPS) according to some embodiments.

0012<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a two-pole switch module for use in the system of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> according to some embodiments.

0013<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a single-pole switch module for use in the system of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> according to some embodiments.

0014<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of an inverter module for use in the system of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> according to some embodiments.

0015<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a rectifier module for use in the system of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> according to some embodiments.

0016<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a DC/DC converter module for use in the system of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> according to some embodiments.

0017<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a system controller module for use in the system of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> according to some embodiments.

0018<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> is a schematic diagram illustrating an uninterruptible power supply system (UPS) according to some embodiments.

0019<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref> is a schematic diagram illustrating an uninterruptible power supply system (UPS) according to further embodiments.

0020<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 10</figref> is a flowchart illustrating operations for fabricating a modular power supply system according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

0021Specific exemplary embodiments of the inventive subject matter now will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This inventive subject matter may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive subject matter to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. As used herein the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

0022The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the inventive subject matter. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

0023Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this inventive subject matter belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

0024The inventive subject matter may be embodied as apparatus, methods and computer program products. Some embodiments may be described with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations that illustrate structures and operations. Blocks of the block diagrams and/or operational illustrations may generally implemented using electric circuits configured to perform the specified functions. These “circuits” may generally be implemented using analog and/or digital circuitry. The circuits may comprise discrete components and/or integrated components, such as data processing integrated circuits (e.g., microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors and the like) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

0025Each block in such diagrams may represent a portion or segment of operations performed by computer-executable program code for implementing the specified logical function(s). Computer-executable program code may be provided one or more data processors, special purpose processors, ASICs, and/or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that the instructions, which execute to the code to provide the functions/acts specified in the block diagrams and/or operational block or blocks.

0026The computer-executable program code may also be stored in a non-transitory medium that may direct a controller circuit to function in a particular manner, such that the program code stored in the non-transitory medium constitute an article of manufacture including instructions that implement the functions specified in the block or blocks of the block diagrams and/or operational illustrations. The non-transitory medium may be, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the non-transitory medium include the following: hard disk devices, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, random access memory (RAM) devices, read-only memory (ROM) devices, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory) devices, and compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM).

0027Large uninterruptible power supply systems have traditionally been a compilation of multiple equipment components operating independently. For example, a typical system may include an automatic transfer switch (ATS) used to select between two AC sources, such as utility and generator. The output of the ATS may be connected to a UPS having rectifier, inverter, DC/DC converter, and a static switch, which can be internal or external. The system may also include additional downstream devices, such as a static transfer switch (STS) that selects between the UPS output and a secondary AC source to provide power to a critical load.

0028Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter arise from a realization that an improved solution to power supply design uses a set of functional modules that can be put together to form a complete system in various configurations are required by customers. Such a system may, for example, select between multiple AC and/or DC sources to provide controlled AC power to the critical load. Such an integrated system may, for example, maximize the total system efficiency, instead of just component efficiency, by selecting the preferred power source (AC or DC) under all operating conditions. In some embodiments, for example, a cost hierarchy of all of the power sources may be provided to a system controller module, which may select an optimum (e.g., lowest cost and/or highest reliability) power source based on availability and capabilities of the power sources.

0029Systems according to some embodiments may utilize a distributed processing architecture wherein each functional module has some degree of autonomy and local intelligence, e.g., a controller implemented in a microcontroller. Each module may sense its own input(s) and output and make basic decisions on its mode of operation, which may provide built-in redundancy and greater up-time for the system as a whole. The system can be modified by adding modules and/or changing module interconnections and module software.

0030Some embodiments of the inventive subject matter provide modular power systems in which functional modules, such as switch modules and converter modules, are configured for flexible interconnection to provide a variety of different uninterruptible power system topologies. The functional modules are configured to autonomously implement various switching and conversion functions and are coupled via one or more high-speed digital links, such as a controller area network (CAN) bus, to a system controller module that provides higher-level supervisory and control functions. In this manner, the same modules may be used, for example, to implement various on-line, standby and other UPS topologies, thus overcoming limitations of conventional UPS products that have fixed configurations. Embodiments of the invention subject matter may include, among other things, such functional modules and system control modules, as well as methods of operating such modular systems and computer program products supporting implementation of such modular systems.

0031<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> illustrates an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system <b>100</b> according to some embodiments of the inventive subject matter. The system <b>100</b> includes a plurality of functional modules coupled in a network configuration, including a two-pole switch module <b>120</b>, a rectifier module <b>130</b>, an inverter module <b>140</b>, a DC/DC converter module <b>150</b>, and a single-pole switch module <b>160</b>. These modules are interconnected by various buses, including an isolated AC input bus <b>125</b>, a DC bus <b>135</b> and an output AC bus <b>145</b>. The functional modules are separate assemblies having separate mechanical structures, e.g., frames and/or enclosures, that facilitate flexible interconnections among the modules. The functional modules may be configured to positioned apart from one another (e.g., in separate wall-mounted or freestanding cabinets) and/or may be configured to be installed together in other mechanical assemblies, such as in equipment racks. Conductors used to interconnect the modules <b>120</b>, <b>130</b>, <b>140</b>, <b>150</b>, <b>160</b> may take various forms, including, but not limited to, flexible cables, conduits, solid bus bars, bus ducts and the like. The connections of the modules to such conductors may take various forms, including, but not limited to, plugs and sockets, bolt-on or clamped cable terminals, bus bar stabs, and the like.

0032Each of the functional modules <b>120</b>, <b>130</b>, <b>140</b>, <b>150</b>, <b>160</b> is configured to operate in a semi-autonomous manner. For example, the 2-pole switch module <b>120</b>, which is configured to selectively connect two power sources, here shown as a primary utility source <b>10</b><i>a </i>and backup generator <b>10</b><i>b</i>, to AC input bus <b>125</b>, may be configured to sense loss of the primary source <b>10</b><i>a </i>and to responsively couple the generator <b>10</b><i>b </i>to the AC input bus <b>125</b>. As shown, the switch module <b>120</b> may be further configured to signal the generator <b>10</b><i>b </i>to cause the generator <b>10</b><i>b </i>to start upon sensing failure of the primary utility source <b>10</b><i>a. </i>

0033The power converter modules, here including the rectifier module <b>130</b>, inverter module <b>140</b> and the DC/DC converter module <b>150</b>, may similarly operate in an autonomous manner. For example, the rectifier module <b>130</b> may include control circuitry configured to monitor voltages on the AC input bus <b>125</b> and the DC bus and may act to regulate a voltage on the DC bus <b>135</b>. Similarly, the inverter module <b>140</b> may include control circuitry configured to regulate an AC output voltage produced on the AC output bus <b>145</b>. The DC/DC converter module <b>150</b> may operate autonomously to provide power from a battery <b>10</b><i>c </i>to the DC bus <b>135</b> to maintain a voltage on the DC bus <b>135</b> and to charge the battery <b>10</b><i>c</i>. The single-pole switch module <b>160</b> may be also be configured to operate autonomously, e.g., it may include control circuitry configured to sense current passing therethrough and to responsive detect a condition, such as a backfeed to the AC input bus <b>160</b> or an overcurrent, and to interrupt the current to protect against damage from such a condition.

0034The functional modules <b>120</b>, <b>130</b>, <b>140</b>, <b>150</b>, <b>160</b> each include communications interface circuits <b>105</b> that support digital links with a communications interface circuit <b>105</b> of a controller module <b>110</b>. The interface circuits <b>105</b> may, for example, be interconnected by one or more digital buses, and the interface circuits <b>105</b> may support communications over the one or more digital buses using a high-speed digital communications protocol, such as Controller Area Network (CAN). It will be understood, however, that the connections provided by interfaces <b>105</b> may take any of a number of different forms including, but not limited to, wired, optical and/or wireless connections. It will be further appreciated that the interface circuits <b>105</b> may also be configured to support peer-to-peer communications between the functional modules, independent of the controller module <b>110</b>. Such peer-to-peer communications may be used, for example, for emergency or other signaling that may be unduly slowed by intermediation by the controller module <b>110</b>.

0035The controller module <b>110</b> is configured to provide a power flow controller <b>112</b> which utilizes a system model <b>114</b> that controls interoperation of the autonomous functional modules. For example, as illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, the functional modules <b>120</b>, <b>130</b>, <b>140</b>, <b>150</b>, <b>160</b> are interconnected in a topology that supports an on-line UPS operational scheme that is commonly used in applications such as data center power distribution. In particular, the two-pole switch module <b>120</b> is coupled to support operation as an input transfer switch, the rectifier module <b>130</b>, the inverter module <b>140</b> and the DC/DC converter module <b>150</b> are interconnected to act as an on-line UPS converter core, and the single-pole switch module <b>160</b> is connected to act as a static bypass switch. The system model <b>114</b> of the power flow controller <b>112</b> models this topology, and the power flow controller <b>112</b> may monitor and control the various autonomous functional modules <b>120</b>, <b>130</b>, <b>140</b>, <b>150</b>, <b>160</b> according to the model <b>114</b> to support such on-line UPS operation. The control module <b>110</b> may be further configured to provide configuration information to the functional modules <b>120</b>, <b>130</b>, <b>140</b>, <b>150</b>, <b>160</b> including, for example, parameters and other configuration information for local control circuitry that controls the autonomous functions of the functional module or peer-to-peer signaling of the functional module with other functional modules. The control module <b>110</b> may also be configured to provide other supervisory functions, such as choice of power source based on factors such as availability and cost, as well as communications with other systems, such as a building management system (BMS).

0036<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> illustrates an example of a two-pole switch module <b>120</b>′ according to some embodiments. The switch module <b>120</b>′ includes a frame <b>121</b>, such as a cabinet, rack or other enclosure. The frame <b>121</b> supports at least one two-pole switch <b>122</b> coupled to first and second input ports <b>121</b><i>a</i>, <b>121</b><i>b </i>and an output port <b>123</b>. The ports <b>121</b><i>a</i>, <b>121</b><i>b</i>, <b>123</b> may include, for example, wire, cable and/or bus bar connection structures (e.g., terminal blocks, plugs, sockets, clamps, etc.) that are supported by the frame <b>121</b>. For three-phase power system application, the at least one switch <b>122</b> may include, for example, respective switches for respective phases. The at least one switch <b>122</b> is controlled by a processor circuit <b>124</b>, which may include, for example, an integrated circuit data processing device and associated peripheral circuitry configured to control the at least one switch <b>122</b>. For example, the at least one switch <b>122</b> may include at least one semiconductor power switching device, such as a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) or power MOSFET transistor, and the processor circuitry <b>124</b> may include an integrated circuit microcontroller and driver circuitry that interfaces the microcontroller to a gate or other control terminal of the at least one power semiconductor switching device. The processor circuit <b>124</b> may be programmed to implement a local controller <b>127</b> that controls the at least one switch <b>122</b> responsive to locally-monitored electrical parameters such as voltages v₁, v₂at the input ports <b>121</b><i>a</i>, <b>121</b><i>b</i>. For example, the local controller <b>127</b> may be configured to cause the at least one switch <b>122</b> to selectively couple the input ports <b>121</b><i>a</i>, <b>121</b><i>b </i>to the output port <b>123</b> based on the locally monitored voltages v₁, v₂.

0037The processor circuit <b>124</b> is also coupled to a communications circuit <b>126</b> that provides communications with an external system controller module, such as the controller module <b>110</b> illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. The communications circuit <b>126</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and to receive configuration information, commands and other data from the system controller for provision to the local controller <b>127</b>. For example, the external controller may provide commands for operation of the at least one switch <b>122</b> to select between power sources coupled to the input ports <b>121</b><i>a</i>, <b>121</b><i>b</i>, with such commands being executed by the local controller <b>127</b> provided by the processor circuit <b>124</b>. The local controller <b>127</b> provided by the processor circuit <b>124</b> may send information to the external controller, such as status information relating to the state of the at least one switch <b>122</b> and other components of the switch module <b>120</b>′ and information regarding electrical parameters, such as the input port voltages v₁, v₂.

0038It will be appreciated that a two-pole switch module along the lines illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> may be used as an input selection switch as illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. It will be further appreciated that such a module may be used in other arrangements. For example, such a switch module may be coupled to an output bus, such as the output bus <b>145</b> shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, to allow provision of power to a load from another source (e.g., another utility source) in addition to the inverter module <b>140</b>. An example of such an arrangement is described below with reference to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref>. It will be appreciated that such switch modules may have various different ratings and may be selected appropriate to the application.

0039<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a single-pole switch module <b>160</b>′ according to some embodiments. The switch module <b>160</b>′ includes a frame <b>161</b>, such as a cabinet, rack or other enclosure. The frame <b>161</b> supports at least one single-pole switch <b>162</b> coupled to an input port <b>161</b> and an output port <b>163</b>. The ports <b>161</b>, <b>163</b> may include, for example, wire, cable and/or bus bar connection structures that are supported by the frame <b>161</b>. The at least one switch <b>162</b> may include, for example, respective switches for respective phases. The at least one switch <b>162</b> is controlled by a processor circuit <b>164</b> which, along lines discussed above, may include a microcontroller or similar data processing device, along with peripheral circuitry for interfacing such a data processing device to the at least one switch <b>162</b>. The processor circuit <b>164</b> may be programmed to implement a local controller <b>167</b> that controls the at least one switch <b>162</b> responsive to locally-monitored electrical parameters such as a voltage v at the input port <b>161</b> or a current i passing through the at least one switch <b>162</b>. For example, the local controller <b>167</b> may be configured to cause the at least one switch <b>162</b> to open responsive to a magnitude of the current i and/or a direction of power flow through the at least one switch <b>162</b>.

0040The processor circuit <b>164</b> is also coupled to a communications circuit <b>166</b>, which supports communications with an external system controller, such as the controller module <b>110</b> illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. The communications circuit <b>166</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and receive configuration information, commands and other data from the system controller for provision to the local controller <b>167</b>. For example, the communications circuit <b>166</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and receive commands from the system controller to control the at least one switch <b>162</b>. The local controller <b>167</b> provided by the processor circuit <b>164</b> may send information to the external controller regarding electrical parameters, such as the input port voltage v, the current i and the state of the at least one switch <b>162</b>.

0041<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of an inverter module <b>140</b>′ according to some embodiments. The inverter module <b>140</b>′ includes a frame <b>141</b>, such as a cabinet, rack or other enclosure. The frame <b>141</b> supports an input port <b>141</b> and an output port <b>143</b>. The ports <b>141</b>, <b>143</b> may include, for example, wire, cable and/or bus bar connection structures that are supported by the frame <b>141</b>. The inverter module <b>140</b>′ includes a bridge circuit <b>142</b> coupled between the input port <b>141</b> and the output port <b>143</b> and controlled by a processor circuit <b>144</b>. The bridge circuit <b>142</b> may include a plurality of semiconductor switching devices, such as isolated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) or power MOSFET devices. The processor circuit <b>144</b> may include a microcontroller or similar data processing device, along with peripheral circuitry for interfacing such a data processing device to the switching devices of the bridge circuit <b>142</b>. The processor circuit <b>144</b> may be programmed to implement a local controller <b>147</b> that controls the bridge circuit <b>142</b> responsive to locally-monitored electrical parameters, such as a DC input voltage v_inat the input port <b>141</b>, an AC output voltage v_outat the output port <b>143</b>, and an output current i_outat the output port <b>143</b>, to generate the AC output voltage v_outat the output port <b>143</b>.

0042The processor circuit <b>144</b> is also coupled to a communications circuit <b>146</b>, which supports communications with an external system controller, such as the controller module <b>110</b> illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. The communications circuit <b>146</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and receive configuration information, commands and other data from the system controller for provision to the local controller <b>147</b>. For example, the communications circuit <b>146</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and receive commands from the system controller to control the bridge circuit <b>142</b>. The processor circuit <b>144</b> may send information to the external controller regarding electrical parameters, such as the input port voltage v_in, the output port voltage v_out, and the output current i_out.

0043<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a rectifier module <b>130</b>′ according to some embodiments. The rectifier module <b>130</b>′ includes a frame <b>131</b>, such as a cabinet, rack or other enclosure, which supports an input port <b>131</b> and an output port <b>133</b>. The ports <b>131</b>, <b>133</b> may include, for example, wire, cable and/or bus bar connection structures that are supported by the frame <b>131</b>. The rectifier module <b>130</b>′ includes a bridge circuit <b>132</b> coupled between the input port <b>131</b> and the output port <b>133</b> and controlled by a processor circuit <b>134</b>. The bridge circuit <b>132</b> may include a plurality of semiconductor switching devices, such as isolated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) or power MOSFET devices. The processor circuit <b>134</b> may include a microcontroller or similar data processing device, along with peripheral circuitry for interfacing such a data processing device to the switching devices of the bridge circuit <b>132</b>. The processor circuit <b>134</b> may be programmed to implement a local controller <b>137</b> that controls the bridge circuit <b>132</b> responsive to locally-monitored electrical parameters, such as an AC input voltage v_inat the input port <b>131</b>, a DC output voltage v_outat the output port <b>133</b>, and an output current i_outat the output port <b>133</b>, to generate the DC output voltage v_outat the output port <b>133</b>.

0044The processor circuit <b>134</b> is also coupled to a communications circuit <b>136</b>, which supports communications with an external system controller, such as the controller module <b>110</b> illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. The communications circuit <b>136</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and receive configuration information, commands and other data from the system controller for provision to the local controller <b>137</b>. For example, the communications circuit <b>136</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and receive commands from the system controller to control the bridge circuit <b>132</b>. The local controller <b>137</b> provided by the processor circuit <b>134</b> may send information to the external controller regarding electrical parameters, such as the input port voltage v_in, the output port voltage v_out, and the output current i_out.

0045<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a DC/DC converter module <b>150</b>′ according to some embodiments. The DC/DC converter module <b>150</b>′ includes a frame <b>151</b>, such as a cabinet, rack or other enclosure. The frame <b>151</b> supports a first port <b>151</b> and a second port <b>153</b>. The ports <b>151</b>, <b>153</b> may include, for example, wire, cable and/or bus bar connection structures that are supported by the frame <b>151</b>. The DC/DC converter module <b>150</b>′ includes a switching circuit <b>152</b> coupled between the first port <b>151</b> and the second port <b>153</b> and controlled by a processor circuit <b>154</b>. The switching circuit <b>152</b> may include a plurality of semiconductor switching devices, such as isolated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) or power MOSFET devices. The processor circuit <b>154</b> may include a microcontroller or similar data processing device, along with peripheral circuitry for interfacing such a data processing device to the switching devices of the switching circuit <b>152</b>. The processor circuit <b>154</b> may be programmed to implement a local controller <b>157</b> that controls the switching circuit <b>152</b> responsive to locally-monitored electrical parameters, such as a DC voltage v<b>1</b> at the input port <b>151</b>, a DC voltage v<b>2</b> at the second port <b>153</b>, a current it at the first port <b>151</b>, and a current i<b>2</b> at the second port <b>153</b>. The local controller <b>157</b> may be configured to provide bidirectional power transfer between the first and second ports <b>151</b>, <b>153</b>.

0046The processor circuit <b>154</b> is also coupled to a communications circuit <b>156</b>, which supports communications with an external system controller, such as the controller module <b>110</b> illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. The communications circuit <b>156</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and receive configuration information, commands and other data from the system controller to control the switching circuit <b>152</b>. For example, the communications circuit <b>156</b> may be configured to send status information to the external controller and receive commands from the system controller for provision to the local controller <b>157</b>. The local controller <b>157</b> may send information to the external controller regarding electrical parameters of the module <b>150</b>′, such as the DC voltage v₁at the input port <b>151</b>, the DC voltage v₂at the second port <b>153</b>, the current i₁at the first port <b>151</b>, and the current i₂at the second port <b>153</b>.

0047<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> illustrates an exemplary implementation of a system controller module <b>110</b>′ according to some embodiments. The system controller module <b>110</b>′ includes a frame <b>111</b>, such as a cabinet, rack or other enclosure. The system controller module <b>110</b>′ includes a processor circuit <b>112</b>, which may be implemented using, for example, a microcontroller or similar integrated circuit device, along with peripheral circuitry, such as memory circuitry. The processor circuit <b>112</b> is configured (e.g., programmed) to provide a power flow controller <b>113</b> that supervises and controls operations of autonomous functional modules, such as the modules illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 2-6</figref>, via a module communications circuit <b>114</b>. The power flow controller <b>113</b> may utilize a system model <b>115</b> that defines relationships among the various functional modules, as described above. As further shown, the system controller module <b>110</b>′ may further include an external communications circuit <b>116</b>, which may be used to interface the module <b>110</b>′ to an external system, such as a building management system (BMS).

0048<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> illustrates how functional and system controller modules described above in reference to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1-7</figref> may be used to implement a different UPS topology than the on-line topology illustrated in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. In particular, <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> illustrates a system <b>800</b> having an off-line or standby topology. The system <b>800</b> includes a two-pole switch module <b>120</b>, here again used to act as an input transfer switch for selecting from among a utility power source <b>10</b><i>a </i>and a generator <b>10</b><i>b</i>. The system <b>800</b> also includes a second two-pole switch module <b>120</b> used as an output transfer switch for selecting between a battery-fed inverter module <b>140</b> and the output of the first switch module <b>120</b>. A system controller module <b>110</b> is configured to control the switch modules <b>120</b> and the inverter module <b>140</b> to support off-line or standby operation. In particular, the system controller module <b>110</b> provides a power flow controller <b>812</b> that operates according to a network model <b>814</b> that supports such UPS operations.

0049Modules along the lines discussed above may also be used to implement more complex topologies. For example, <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref> illustrates a system <b>900</b> that includes a rectifier module <b>130</b>, inverter module <b>140</b> linked by a DC bus <b>135</b> similar to the system <b>100</b> of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>. However, the system <b>900</b> includes two two-pole switch modules <b>120</b> that are coupled to an input AC bus <b>125</b> to selectively provide power from among four sources, including separate utility sources <b>10</b><i>a</i>, <b>10</b><i>c </i>and separate generators <b>10</b><i>b</i>, <b>10</b><i>d</i>. Respective first and second DC/DC converter modules <b>150</b> couple a battery <b>10</b><i>e </i>and a photovoltaic (PV) array <b>10</b><i>f </i>to the DC bus <b>135</b>. A third two-pole switch module <b>120</b> selectively couples the inverter module <b>140</b> and a third utility source <b>10</b><i>g </i>to a load <b>20</b>. A system controller module <b>110</b> is coupled to the various functional modules via high-speed digital data links and is configured to support operation of the system <b>900</b>. The system controller module <b>110</b> provides a power flow controller <b>912</b> that operates according to a network model <b>914</b> that supports on-line UPS operations. The power flow controller <b>912</b> may be further configured, for example, to select among the various power sources based on availability, cost and other information. For example, the power flow controller <b>912</b> may select from among the utility sources <b>10</b><i>a</i>, <b>10</b><i>c</i>, the generators <b>10</b><i>b</i>, <b>10</b><i>d </i>and the PV array <b>10</b><i>f </i>based upon factors such as weather conditions, time of day, utility rates and/or fuel costs.

0050As discussed above, function and system controller modules as described above may be flexibly interconnected to support a variety of different power supply system configurations. For example, a modular product system may include a set of functional modules that may be selected and interconnected to form any of a variety of different network configurations. Each functional module may have at least two ports configured to be coupled to at least one other functional module and/or to at least one other external device and a control circuit configured to autonomously control at least one function relating to electrical power transfer between the at least two ports. A system designer may select modules from the set of functional modules and interconnect the functional modules in a manner that support a particular type of system configuration, such as the UPS configurations described above. A controller module may be coupled to the selected functional modules via at least one digital communication link, such as a CAN bus. The controller module may be programmed to maintain a network model corresponding to the interconnection of the functional modules, and may control power flow in the network including the selected functional modules.

0051<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 10</figref> illustrates an example of operations for fabricating system according to some embodiments. A set of functional modules is selected and interconnected to form a network (blocks <b>1010</b>, <b>1020</b>). A system controller module is connected to the functional modules via one or more digital communications links (block <b>1030</b>). The system controller module is configured to support a network model corresponding to the interconnected functional modules (block <b>1040</b>). The system controller module may also configure the selected functional modules, e.g., may transmit parameters for autonomous operation of the modules (block <b>1050</b>). The system may then be operated to provide selective power flow between at least two power sources and a load (block <b>1060</b>).

0052In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the inventive subject matter. Although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the inventive subject matter being defined by the following claims.